The man who shot dead John Lennon has been denied parole for an eighth time.

Prison authorities said that Mark Chapman - who gunned down The Beatles star in 1980 in New York City - is likely to violate the law.

Chapman received a sentence of 20 years to life in prison for shooting Lennon five times on December 8.

He had pleaded guilty to second degree murder.

The star had been walking with his wife, Yoko Ono, to their Central Park apartment building when he was killed.

Mark Chapman in 1980

New York State's parole board told Chapman it had "determined that if released at this time, there is a reasonable probability that you would not live and remain at liberty without again violating the law."

It added that his release "would be incompatible with the welfare of society and would so deprecate the serious nature of the crime as to undermine respect for the law."

Chapman, 59, is being held at the maximum security Wende Correctional Facility and spoke to the parole board via video link.

He first became eligible for parole in 2000, and has been eligible to reapply for release every two years since then.

Lennon had with Ono when he was shot

He will be able to apply for his next review in August 2016.

Ono has been adamant that Chapman should not be released from jail.

Lennon, 40, was shot four times in the back by Chapman, who had asked for the musician's autograph hours earler.

Chapman revealed in 1992 that he had felt compelled to shoot the Beatle after hearing a voice in his head "saying over and over, 'Do it, do it, do it'".

He said he had believed that by killing him he would acquire Lennon's fame.